Green Family Projecthttps://greenfamilyproject.com
Living a greener, more sustainable life
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:14:34 +0000 en-US
hourly
1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1https://greenfamilyproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/peacock-butterfly-1339982__340-150x150.jpgGreen Family Projecthttps://greenfamilyproject.com
3232My Five Top Nature Toys for Childrenhttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/08/my-five-top-nature-toys-for-children/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/08/my-five-top-nature-toys-for-children/#respondFri, 08 Mar 2019 12:14:33 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=97Top Five Nature Toys for Children We have always tried to encourage our children to take an interest in nature and to get them outside as much as possible. Over the years we have spent much on different toys to help facilitate this. However, there’s so many different kits and bits of equipment available much […]

We have always tried to encourage our children to take an
interest in nature and to get them outside as much as possible. Over the years
we have spent much on different toys to help facilitate this. However, there’s
so many different kits and bits of equipment available much of which are difficult
to use or just don’t do what they are supposed to. Save yourself the frustration and learn from
my bitter experience. Here’s my top five
nature toys which have been tried, tested and tried again.

Crabbing drop net

We have tried crabbing lines (crab is pulled up on the line,
spots you gawking at it and promptly lets go) and nets on a stick (good luck
with your net full of stones) but by far the best crabbing equipment is a round
drop net which has a spring catch for your bait and rope that you can lower the
net down into the water. Leave it for a
few minutes then pull it up and hey presto, a crab has crawled in and is
happily munching on the bait. These nets
can be purchased for less than a tenner and it can keep you busy for an
afternoon. Make sure you have researched
your area beforehand and checked the tides, some crabbing spots have places
nearby that sell bait such as squid otherwise take something with you (we tend
to find something fishy often works well, bread is hopeless). Also, have a wide bucket to put your crab in,
you can take a decent photo and log it in a book. Many people seem to put all the crabs in a
bucket together. Please don’t do
this. Crabs can be very vicious to each
other and I have seen crabs pull the claws off other crabs that have been stuck
in a bucket together.

Catch me if you can!

Rock Tumbler

A rock tumbler is basically a barrel you put rocks in which
are then spun with grit and water and the rocks become polished over time. These are brilliant for those interested in
geology and it is very satisfying to see the finished product. It should be noted that this takes about four
weeks though, so patience is required.
There are four sizes of grit that the rocks need to be spun with to
achieve the finished product. It is also
very noisy we had ours going in the outhouse where it wouldn’t disturb anyone. We bought
a national geographic rock tumbler and this came with everything you needed
including grit, rocks and even the accessories to make your newly polished
rocks into jewellery should you so wish.
If your children are interested in geology, I would also recommend Rockwatch
at https://www.rockwatch.org.uk/
which is a geology club for children and holds events and even residentials.

channel your inner geologist

Canvas wigwam

If you are trying to get your children to spend more time
outside than one of the canvas wigwam tents are perfect for this. It can be used as a bird hide, den, campsite
or whatever their imagination dictates.
It seems to appeal to children of all ages (even some adults) and
although we bought it with our three year old in mind, I have found the eleven year
old in there reading a book. Its very
easy to bring inside on a rainy day but if you have too many cushions in there
don’t be surprised if the dog takes it over.

Gardening tools

If you want to get the kids out in the garden, it helps if
they have their own gardening tools.
Bypass the plastic tat that will break in about three seconds and go for
something decent. These are a bit more
pricey so you can start off with one or two things and build their collection
up. The most important item is a trowel
as they will probably start growing things in pots first, but this can just as
easily be used in the veg patch. I would
also get a watering can too as kids seem to love watering things (or sometimes
drowning them) and some gardening gloves. My eight year old easily uses adult hoes and
rakes (autumn is a great time for him to earn extra pocket money and learn to
make leaf mould) but obviously the three year old needs a smaller version. If they get really keen there are decent
child size spades, wheelbarrows and kneelers available.

Binoculars

Hi neighbours!

A pair of binoculars can be used for birdwatching or star gazing. Please do train the children not to spy on
the neighbours or use them to look directly at the sun (burnt retinas cannot be
repaired). We have two pairs; a small
child friendly pair used by the youngest that he can wear round his neck on
country walks (often used to examine cow pats) and an adult pair which the
older children are allowed to use with care.
They give a much higher resolution so are great for birds. Don’t forget to take a birdwatching book so
you know what you’re looking at.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/08/my-five-top-nature-toys-for-children/feed/0Green Changes for Februaryhttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/03/green-changes-for-february/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/03/green-changes-for-february/#respondSun, 03 Mar 2019 15:30:45 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=89This is my second month of green living changes and I have been concentrating on personal hygiene this month you will be pleased to know. I don’t really wear make-up very often, but this is more to do with the fact it will mean getting out of bed ten minutes earlier. I guess my slovenly […]

]]>This is my second month of green living changes and I have
been concentrating on personal hygiene this month you will be pleased to
know. I don’t really wear make-up very often,
but this is more to do with the fact it will mean getting out of bed ten
minutes earlier. I guess my slovenly
ways are an environmental win in this respect.
I was also shown photos by an optometrist of mascara on eyelashes in
close up. Very off putting.

Soap Bars

I’m not sure when we stopped using soap bars and replacing
them with clumsy dispensers, but I fear it was probably down to some clever
marketing ploy. After having a wobble at
small bars of soap that seemed to cost about a tenner, I have found that Etsy
do fantastic natural, handmade soaps at reasonable prices. We now have lovely bars of soap at our sinks
instead of dispensers and I swear they last longer. I might even have a go at making some soap
myself.

Shower gel

Remember soap on a rope?
No? You clearly didn’t receive
any Christmas presents during the 70s.
Soap in the shower used to be a thing.
It is back to being a thing in our house. We often use the same soap bars in the shower
as we do to wash hands. Use with a
flannel and give those pits a scrub. They
do a decent job and we haven’t had people avoiding us due to funky smells.

Deodorant

Having a bit of an issue with smelling anything like an
actual person, I am used to walking round in large clouds of Sure. The tins, the spray, none of this is a good
thing. Not for your body or the
environment, so I trundled down the path of eco friendly natural
deodorants. I have to say I was pleasantly
surprised by their effectiveness. I
didn’t end the day smelling offensive (believe me, I checked) and didn’t have
to reapply during the day. I started off
with a natural roll on which was refillable but have now found deodorant with recyclable
packaging involving no plastic whatsoever.

Reducing the recycling

My main aim when I started this was to get rid of the amount
of rubbish that was going into landfill.
However, as a family of five, the amount of recycling we produce also
seemed a strain on the environment when you consider all the processing
involved. So much better not to have it
in the first place. Question is, what do
you get rid of? Wine? Surely not.
There must be a better way. I
have found some of things we are recycling such as drinks cans are bad for the body
and environment so ditching them will be a double bonus. Buying items in bulk also cuts down on
packaging and instead of recycling I have started using some rubbish such as
yoghurt pots for planting and paint pots.
I’m think our recycling has reduced by about a third and I’m hoping to
reduce this down further.

Ditch the tea bags

Don’t mind if I do

Coming from a family of builders, I probably drink about 30
cups of tea a day (I say cups but its mugs, obviously). As most teabags do not compost completely, I
decided to switch to loose leaf tea. I
have a little teapot if I’m just making for me and a larger one for
‘company’. It’s actually quite nice to
make ‘proper’ tea in a big teapot when friends are over. Throw in a few homemade biccies and you are
hostess with the mostest.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/03/03/green-changes-for-february/feed/0Country Walkshttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/23/country-walks/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/23/country-walks/#commentsSat, 23 Feb 2019 17:19:34 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=76One of the big attractions of moving to the country is the country walks you will imagine you will go on. Rambling for miles through beautiful landscapes in mild weather whilst spotting wildlife and contemplating life. Sometimes it will be like that, other times not so much. One of the things I discovered about myself […]

]]>One of the
big attractions of moving to the country is the country walks you will imagine
you will go on. Rambling for miles
through beautiful landscapes in mild weather whilst spotting wildlife and contemplating
life. Sometimes it will be like that,
other times not so much. One of the
things I discovered about myself since we moved to a more rural area is that I’m
a bit nervous around livestock. Happy to
coo over lambs in a field from a car window, it didn’t occur to me that walking
through a field of them or, god forbid, a herd of cows, would make me slightly
anxious. I haven’t yet been stampeded or
savaged so I don’t have any reason to think I am in mortal peril and I hope it’s
something that will fade. At least it
gives the locals a laugh. I still brave the country walk though and thought I
would share my tips for making the most of your rambles.
Possibly lethal

Be Prepared Get yourself an ordnance survey map
which will have all the footpaths marked for your area. When on your walk, these should be marked with
yellow arrows. Walks are not always
circular so plan your route and how you will get home. In winter it is often dark by 4.30pm so make
sure you aren’t going on a 5 mile walk at 4pm cross country. You don’t have to have ‘proper’ walking
clothes but study boots are a must and long thick trousers are useful as you
might find some of the stiles are a bit overgrown with brambles and even have a
bit of barbed wire on them. This all
sounds very basic but there still seem to be reports of people setting off up
mountains wearing flip flops in November.
Don’t need the rescue services.
Very embarrassing.

Be a considerate dog owner Dogs, of course, are made for
walks. However, there are a few things
to remember with regards to your furry friend. Do be aware of livestock on your
walk. Footpaths often go through farmers’
fields so make sure you know that field is definitely empty before letting your
dog off the lead. Livestock is often rotated
for grazing so the field that was empty last week may have gained some
occupants. Even if you are convinced
that your dog would never attack an animal, pregnant ewes that bolt from a
playful dog are still at risk of losing their lambs. Farmers are within their rights to shoot a
dog that is bothering their livestock so don’t take the risk.

Stile it out (see what I did there?) Most walks
will include at least one stile. These
are so you can get over the fence but the livestock can’t get out. Some are dog friendly and you may find that
someone has fashioned a flap you can lift so the dog can fit through. If you have a large breed dog you might want
to check access before taking him or her with you. I have lifted my slightly chubby spaniel over
stiles where necessary but if I had a St Bernard that wouldn’t really be
possible.

only for the skinny

Learn a little about wildlife If you are taking children on a walk
with you and even if you are not, it is so much more interesting if you can
point out some of the local wildlife.
Learn what badger tracks or deer poo looks like and know the difference
between a pheasant and a partridge. The
RSPB has a great tracking sheet at

Feathers are
fair game to collect but remember to teach children not to touch birds’ nests
or pick wild flowers.

Chat to fellow walkers When we first moved to the area, some
of our best tips came from people we met out and about. This could be anything from the best local walk
with a decent pub to a short cut home when the weather turned. Most people are friendly and many areas often
have walking groups or clubs (parish magazines can be a good source of information
for these).

worth the 5 mile uphill trek

Walking has
been one of our most pleasurable activities since moving to the country. Of course we’ve had the walks where the children
have moaned for a solid hour or its started tipping down half way or we have
got slightly lost but with a little experience these things happen less often. The kids have the proper kit in terms of
boots and waterproofs which makes things easier and I would recommend building
up their walking distance. The three
year old would be sitting on the ground within about ten minutes at first but
now will happily go for about an hour. Remember
to start slowly and build up to the longer and more hilly walks. Spring is most definitely a foot and the days
are getting longer again so I can’t wait to get out for some long rambles and
counteract some of that winter inactivity!

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/23/country-walks/feed/1Gentle Gardeninghttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/13/gentle-gardening/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/13/gentle-gardening/#respondWed, 13 Feb 2019 12:19:20 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=56Before we moved to the country, we had a tiny city garden most of which looked after itself. It was a steep learning curve having a much bigger plot to take care of with very little experience and keeping on top of all the jobs was difficult. The garden became over run with weeds and […]

]]>Before we moved to the country, we had a tiny city garden most of which looked after itself. It was a steep learning curve having a much bigger plot to take care of with very little experience and keeping on top of all the jobs was difficult. The garden became over run with weeds and I was looking for a quick solution to deal with the problem when I found a bottle of weed killer that the previous owners had left behind. I read the instructions. They were terrifying. I had to keep it away from any humans, animals or any plants that I didn’t want to annihilate completely. That didn’t really seem practical and I questioned the wisdom of spraying something so toxic around our garden. So, the only other option was to pull all the weeds up by hand. This seemed a bit arduous (it was very overgrown) but it was actually a strangely satisfying experience. When you are pulling up everything by hand it also makes you question whether they ALL really need to be removed. I ended up leaving a clump of nettles for the butterflies to lay their eggs on and dandelions for the guinea pigs to eat. I now quite like seeing the daisies, buttercups and dandelions in my lawn. The bees like them and it adds interest. The guinea pigs have something to nibble and the kids can make daisy chains.

I don’t use
insecticides or slug pellets and there isn’t any problem with excess
pests. The birds seem to do a good job
of dealing with this issue which is how it should be. I do feed the birds in Winter which hopefully
keeps their numbers up and help them view our garden as an attractive place to
live.

Guinea pig delicacy

We also
acquired a lot of hedges with our new plot which require care and attention. We avoid doing anything to the hedges between
March and August as this is bird nesting season (it’s illegal to disturb the
nest of any wild bird) and we waited until much later before we started our
conservative pruning, terrified we would end up with tiny dead birds scattered
all over the lawn. When you are pruning
by hand, you can discover things you might otherwise miss if you were manically
wielding a chainsaw. Our hedges have all
sorts jumbled up in them. We’d been here
a year before I realised there was a small apple tree hidden amongst some hedging.

It does start to make you question how much interference your garden should have. Whilst clearing a small piece of land last Winter I found a small hibernating dormouse on the ground. She (for it turned out she was a she) must have been turfed out of her nest as I pulled ivy and weeds out. I called the local wildlife sanctuary who advised she should go back in her nest if I could find it. Unfortunately, an extensive search revealed nothing, so she went to the centre to hibernate there. They called me in Spring to collect her so she could be released back to the same spot I found her. I don’t think this would have such a happy ending if I had been using a strimmer. Dormice are a protected species but so much of our wildlife is now in decline, I think most species could do with a little consideration these days. Hedgehogs’ reduction in numbers are well documented, I remember them being fairly common in my childhood but sadly not any more. Even rabbit numbers have plummeted, and they are pretty good at replacing themselves!

Supercute

I’m now
quite careful with my gardening and keep in mind that I could be disturbing
someone’s home. It has made me look at
the garden differently. The pile of wood
I keep meaning to move has been left where it is as a home for insects for instance.
Other animals such as voles and toads also use these little nooks and crannies
to nest in. I’m looking forward to having
a pristine vegetable patch this summer (OK, maybe not pristine) but the rest of
the garden can be a little more ‘relaxed’ and hopefully the local wildlife will
thank me for a safe haven.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/13/gentle-gardening/feed/0My Best Green Changes for Januaryhttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/03/my-best-green-changes-for-january/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/03/my-best-green-changes-for-january/#respondSun, 03 Feb 2019 15:33:07 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=49My Best Green Changes for January I have now completed my first month of changing to a more ethical way of living. Each month I will do a round up of what I have achieved which will be a good way of preventing procrastination. I’m aiming for five changes a month, some big, some small. […]

I have now completed my first month of changing to a more
ethical way of living. Each month I will
do a round up of what I have achieved which will be a good way of preventing
procrastination. I’m aiming for five
changes a month, some big, some small. Hopefully
by the end of the year I will have made a big difference in the way my family
lives and shops. Here are the changes I
have made for January in terms of ethical living.

Giving up meat and
fish

This was really much easier than I thought it would be. I haven’t missed meat at all. (Dry January was another matter! There’s no substitute for a nice glass of Sauvignon). I still buy meat for the rest of the family although they are eating less of it. They have also enjoyed some of the vegetarian recipes and all the meat is now organic, free range and locally sourced, where possible. I also want to cut down the airmiles of the food we are eating too.

The only thing I’ve eaten ALL month

Super composting

My sad little compost heap had been sat in the corner of the garden a little unloved. I have been turning it and making sure I am getting a good mix of green and brown matter. I have a Joseph compost caddy in my kitchen, so all the veggie peelings go in there and I add the shavings from the guinea pigs’ cage and give it a good stir. I think I will need an additional bin so I’m looking at a hot composter to speed things up a bit.

Beeswax wraps

I ordered these beeswax wraps to ditch the cling film for
covering food. They weren’t cheap but
they are beautiful. The designs have a
vintage feel and they can just be washed and used again and again. Eventually they can be composted. Definitely a keeper.

Ethical toilet paper

I have always used recycled toilet paper, but the plastic
wrappers did annoy me. I looked into
more ethical toilet roll production. I investigated
Cheeky Panda toilet rolls which were made from bamboo and have paper and
cardboard wrappings. I emailed them to
ask if they were suitable for septic tanks and they kindly emailed me
back. Apparently, they are but you need
to use less sheets (maybe 3 or 4) so you have to be careful not to block the
filter. I wasn’t sure I could trust the
younger members of the household (or indeed some of the older ones) to adhere
to this so I decided against this company.
I went with Who Gives A Crap instead.
Obviously the kids are delighted that they can legitimately use the word
‘crap’ and I have now heard it approximately fifty billion times. This company make their toilet rolls and
tissues from 100% recycled paper and there’s no plastic wrapping. They also donate 50% of their profits to help
build toilets for those in need so another added bonus.

Laundry Ecoegg

I have a child with eczema and found the eco friendly washing powders irritated this. The only powder I could use was Fairy. I tried soap nuts but they didn’t seem to get the clothes as clean, so my next step was an ecoegg. No harsh detergents, does the job and doesn’t irritate delicate skin. A good all rounder. It also worked out cheaper than my big box of Fairy and the packaging is far smaller.

I am now looking forward to making my February changes but it’s a short month so I will have to get a move on! I am also starting to plan my garden for the year, growing fruit and vegetables and getting some chickens. Last year was a bit of a disaster due to the weather so looking forward to seeing how we do this year.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/02/03/my-best-green-changes-for-january/feed/0How to Beat the Winter Blueshttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/23/how-to-beat-the-winter-blues/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/23/how-to-beat-the-winter-blues/#respondWed, 23 Jan 2019 13:25:10 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=43When the excitement of Christmas is over and the days are short, the Winter blues can descend. It starts getting dark about 4pm here and when you are quite rural your options can be limited in winter. Make sure everyone has the right clothing for when the weather turns so you can still get outside […]

When the excitement of Christmas is over and the days are
short, the Winter blues can descend. It
starts getting dark about 4pm here and when you are quite rural your options
can be limited in winter. Make sure
everyone has the right clothing for when the weather turns so you can still get
outside but if it’s really grim, here are some ways you can make the most of the
season.

Do your tax return – If you need to do one and you haven’t
already, January 31st is your deadline for tax year ending April
2018. I often use this time to have an
overall look at finances. Is there
subscriptions you are paying for but no longer need? Make sure they are still worth your
money. Go through bank statements and
see if there are any savings you can make and organise the budget for the year
in terms of big purchases or holidays.

Declutter and clean – why wait until Spring? Come Spring you will have planting and sowing
to do, the days will be getting longer, why would you then spend time
indoors? Use this period of enforced
homeliness to ensure you house is organised and cleaned.

Cosy fires – if you have a fire make sure you have logs,
kindling etc. Teach the kids to lay a
fire so they feel involved, get some hot chocolate and marshmellows in. I like to do this as a treat on a Friday
after school.

Go easy on the screen time – with less scope for outdoor
play, make sure all that time is not used on screens. If you join in the board games on a Sunday
afternoon even for an hour it encourages them to play on their own.

Go swimming – sounds an odd one for Winter but its indoors
and a good one for blowing away the cobwebs.
The kids can put onesies on straight afterwards so they are warm quickly
(always useful if you have a few children to get dressed).

Feed the birds – Help keep our feathered friends going over
winter. We have a few different bird
feeders dotted around the garden so there’s not a big scrum. There’s the RSPB Big Bird Count this weekend
to take part in too.

Check out the seed catalogues – Something quite satisfying
about sitting down with a seed catalogue, a notebook and a cup of tea. Plan what you are going to grow for the year
ahead and order in your seeds and plants.

Now I have lived a full year in the country and experienced
all the seasons, I find I really appreciate beautiful days in a way I didn’t in
the city. We really make the most of the
clear blue skies now, even if they are winter ones.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/23/how-to-beat-the-winter-blues/feed/0Local Producehttps://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/18/local-produce/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/18/local-produce/#respondFri, 18 Jan 2019 14:25:21 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=37Whether you live in the city or in the country there is always locally sourced produce to be found. When living in Hackney, there was a local farmers market, local honey and locally produced beer. Now we are living in rural Sussex, our available local produce has expanded with some real gems. Local food cuts […]

]]>Whether you live in the city or in the country there is always locally sourced produce to be found. When living in Hackney, there was a local farmers market, local honey and locally produced beer. Now we are living in rural Sussex, our available local produce has expanded with some real gems. Local food cuts down drastically on airmiles, is fresher and gives a sense of community as you support local businesses. Here are some of my local gems, all within a 1-2 mile radius.

Farmers’ Markets

These seem to have sprung up everywhere. I have picked up unpasteurised milk, handmade
chocolates and handmade soap here so not just for fruit and veg. Try out your local one – use it or lose it
seems to apply here.

Honesty boxes

These boxes are found at the end of drives on country lanes and
contain the excess produce of chicken and bee keepers and enthusiastic cooks. I love peering inside these as you never know
quite what treasures you will find.
There are several near me which often have eggs, chutneys, jams, and honey
for sale. You can even start your own honesty
box and make a little money from excess produce.

Pick Your Own

This is my favourite place for locally sourced food. Not only can you get cheap, locally grown
food but it’s a day out as well! I have
taken toddlers to teens to the pick you own farm all with equal enthusiasm. Fruit and nuts are the most common fayre but
its also possible to pick your own pumpkin for Halloween. It’s best to check their website/Facebook
page before you go as its obviously seasonal and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Foraging

I’ll never forget picking a tub of blackberries in my
hedgerow for a crumble and then going to the supermarket to find they were on
sale for £2 for half the amount. Very
satisfying. It is possible to forage for
other food such as wild garlic and mushrooms but make sure you know what you
are picking, it might be free but if it kills you it’s not really a bargain. Its also important to know what is actually ‘wild’. Raiding your neighbours’ garden is not ‘foraging’
its stealing and not really in the spirit of things.

Within the same distance we also have a cheese factory
selling delicious cheeses made with local milk and a turkey farm for the
Christmas turkey. There might be more
where you are and if you want to be really
local then you can always grow your own.

]]>https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/18/local-produce/feed/0Vegan for a month or vegetarian for life?https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/13/vegan-for-a-month-or-vegetarian-for-life/
https://greenfamilyproject.com/2019/01/13/vegan-for-a-month-or-vegetarian-for-life/#respondSun, 13 Jan 2019 16:37:38 +0000https://greenfamilyproject.com/?p=14As the December food consumption was well under way, my thoughts turned to January and whether I would join in with the ‘veganuary’ trend. This year was the year I wanted to become greener and encourage my family to do the same so I thought this would be a good way to do it. I […]

As the December food consumption
was well under way, my thoughts turned to January and whether I would join in
with the ‘veganuary’ trend. This year
was the year I wanted to become greener and encourage my family to do the same
so I thought this would be a good way to do it.
I wanted to live more sustainably, use less plastic, reduce my carbon
footprint and generally cause less damage to the planet than I was currently
doing. I considered whether I would be
able to go vegan long term. The answer, for
now, was no. However, I did feel ready
to go vegetarian and thought this was easily possible to do as a permanent
change rather than a short term one.
This was something I had managed for several years back in the day when
we only had Linda McCartney to rescue us from a constant diet of baked potato
and cheesy beans (although a fine meal in itself, not ideal on a daily
basis). There was much more choice now
and plenty of ideas for tasty meals.

The amount of resources used to
produce meat in terms of land, feed, water and energy plus concerns about the
welfare of many of the animals who are raised for food was the main reason for
my decision. It wasn’t really a sudden
decision, I just felt tired of being part of it and wanted to remove myself
from the whole process.

‘Won’t you eat fish?’ my husband
asked, somewhat anxiously. Having
recently watched ‘The Blue Planet’ and witnessed how magnificent a tuna
actually is, to pull it out of the sea and then squash it into a can really didn’t
seem a fitting end for such a creature. The
depleted fish stocks and the depressing debris left behind by some fishing
methods were also concerning. So fish
were off the menu too.

I have to say, its been far easier than I thought. There hasn’t been anything I have missed about eating meat as there are so many alternatives now. I am staying away from large amounts of processed soya as I don’t think that’s a particularly healthy or green choice. I’ve tried new recipes and I am eating far more vegetables and pulses than before. My husband and children still eat meat and fish but they are also eating far more vegetarian meals too. Our first family environmental win.